President Barack Obama says his administration will open a large swath in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration and development, fending off criticism that his policies have stifled domestic energy production.

ORANGE PARK -- When Hailey Hatcher penned a letter asking Barack Obama to do more about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, he doubted the president would see it, much less ponder its meaning. He mailed and faxed the three-page note in June 2010. About four months later, the Orange Park attorney got a call from the White House. read more

President Barack Obama will not be allowing new drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico for at least seven years, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Wednesday.

President Barack Obama can end a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico under new rules reducing the risk of an uncontrolled spill, according to a report for a panel investigating BP Plcs blowout.

President Barack Obama is taking his family to the Florida Panhandle for a weekend trip billed as part family vacation, part presidential sales pitch, as he looks to boost the region's sagging tourism industry in the aftermath of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.